Friday, December 30, 2011

Well, the cold weather & winter is upon us here in Freddy Beach (aka Fredericton). To help get through the winter months, I dream of spring and hitting the open road...maybe even a little "Racing in the Street"!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

Good news for the Canadian Superbike (CSBK) Championship Racing Series, today they announced that they were able to secure a major sponsor for the upcoming 2012 racing season. This past fall, there was some controversy between the major sponsor - Parts Canada and the series management. The end result, Parts Canada pulled their sponsorship from the series.

Earlier today, Frontline CSBK Inc., organizer of Canada’s National motorcycle road racing series, introduced Chrysler Canada - Mopar as a major sponsor. This is great news for fans of the CSBK series and ensures that we will have races to follow in 2012. CSBK also announced the new Honda CBR 250 National Challenge series as well as Pro Superbike class, Pro Sport Bike, Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup, Amateur Superbike and Amateur Sport Bike. In addition to the announcement of a new major sponsor, the 2012 series schedule was released:

Friday, November 18, 2011

As mentioned in a previous post, I was really excited to see the release of the 2012 Ducati Panigale. From what I have read, it is supposed to be quite a machine. To add to this, the rebirth of Erik Buell and the EBR1190RS is another point of excitement for 2012 as is the update to the 2012 KTM RC8. What do each of these bikes have in common, they are V-Twin powered superbikes!

With the introduction of these 2012 models, wouldn't it be great if one of the major motorcycle magazines initiated a 2012 V-Twin Superbike Shootout? Speaking for myself, it would be one comparison that I would be most interested in reading!

After some online research, here is a quick comparison of the power plants behind these three superbikes.

Based on the information above, it appears that the Ducati Panigale has a major horsepower advantage over the EBR 1190RS and the KTM RC8, but there are other innovations that have to be considered too re: engine torque, frame, weight, suspension, traction control, etc.,...something a V-Twin Superbike Shootout would tell us. Which V-Twin Superbike do you think would come out on top?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Who was cooler than Steve McQueen, actor, motorcycle racer, auto racer and yes, rebel! This evening as I was catching up on some online reading, I came across the new releases from Triumph Motorcycles. One of the new releases is the Triumph T100 Steve McQueen Limited Edition Motorcycle.

According to the Triumph news release, this will be a limited production motorcycle with only 1100 being made available. Each bike will be numbered and will have Steve McQueen's signature on the side cover. The bike is designed after the Triumph Trophy TR6 which came to fame in the Great Escape movie! Kudos to Triumph for doing this.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Here are a few pics that I took this morning of my 2009 Buell 1125R. One word describes this bike, "fun"! I purchased the bike new and have put 6000km on it over the past two summers. I actually ride the Buell more than my 2002 Yamaha VStar 1100 Classic...must be the fun factor!

Our riding season is just about done, maybe one more ride before I put the bikes away for the winter!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

It's time for a rant and a well deserved one! I am a mild mannered person and usually don't get upset by too much, but lately I have been really bothered by distracted drivers in cars and trucks who have been using cell phones/handheld devices while driving.

This past summer, our government made it illegal to talk on cell phones or text while driving (hands free cellular is permitted). Even with the introduction of this legislation and a minimum fine of $172.50, I still notice many cagers continue to use their cell phones while driving.

Yesterday, I went for a short ride on my Buell 1125R and there where two incidents that occurred that could have resulted in being involved in an accident. First, I was riding on a street that is two lanes and converges into one lane. I was riding the speed limit and about 50m from where the two lane ends and turns into one lane, a lady drives by me and then cuts right into my lane. She cut so aggressively that I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid a collision. Somehow, I noticed she was holding her handheld device in her right hand and not paying any attention to what was happening around her...what an idiot!

The second incident occurred a short time later when a lady lunged out of a driveway onto the street while talking on her cell phone. Her car took about half of the lane and I had to swerve to avoid yet another potential collision! If I had been in my truck, there would have surely been an accident as she had taken half of my lane and there was traffic in the oncoming lane! What are people thinking!

I fail to understand why it is so difficult for people to abide by this new legislation! What phone call or text message is so important that a driver wants to risk their life and more importantly risk my life because they want to talk on their phone or send/receive text messages while driving? I just don't get it, it's just stupid and totally avoidable!

Rather than be polite about it, to you cagers who continue to use your handheld devices while driving, "SMARTEN UP"! You have no right to put my life at risk!

Rant finished...to my fellow bikers, ride safe and watch out for idiots who use handheld devices while driving their cars!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Last year is was the Ducati Diavel Carbon that got us excited! Now for the latest from the renowned Italian motorcycle manufacturer...the new Ducati 1199 Panigale! The Ducati 1199 Panigale will be revealed at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan 10-13 November and I am looking forward to the full report on Ducati's newest superbike. Here's the teaser from Ducati...

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Two people I really enjoy following on Twitter are Kel AKA @FieryPinkGirl and her partner Jase AKA @hellcatcustoms. Although we have never met in person, you can tell by their tweets that they are genuine and that they are good people. Jase builds custom motorcycles, Hellcat Customs in Arizona and has shared his motorcycle expertise with me on several occasions. In the past, I have asked him technical questions about my Buell 1125R and he is always eager to respond. Today Kel posted a link to a YouTube video that shows a custom prototype bike that Hellcat Customs built for Motorcycle Travel America, a custom trike with front end tilt steering. It is so cool that I just have to embed it in my blog! Enjoy!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

I have been awhile putting up this post. I am back at work and it is my busiest time of year, so this had to wait.

Day 2 of the Canadian Superbike Series and Atlantic Motorsport Park was even more exciting than day 1. The final races were fun to watch, from the kids on CBR 125's to the Harley Davidson XR1200 series to the Pro Sportbike and Pro Superbike races.

We arrived at the track early in the morning and were the very first fans to claim our spot in corner two.

Our View in Corner 2

First race was the CBR 125 final...it was a blast to watch, like racing in slow motion. Although slow, the CBR 125 series is the launching point for future racers.

The race was won by a young lady named Stacey Nesbitt. Stacey actually ended up being the overall CBR 125 series leader for 2011.

The next set of races that I took pics was the XR1200 series. This was just fun watching these guys rip around the track on those big bikes. Also, this series really demonstrates rider ability as all are riding the same style of motorcycle.

#14 Steve Crevier was the winner in a race that was shortened due to a bad crash in corner 1. You can see how much of lead Steve gained in the pictures above.

Next was a visit to the pit area to look at some of the bikes. It was great as we had a chance to talk to some of the riders and take a close look at the bikes.

We even found a Buell 1125R in the pits...being a Buell 1125R owner, this made my day!

I am not sure why I didn't take any pictures of the Pro Sportbike final, but I made sure that I got some of the Pro Superbike! It was a great race and it was dominated by #6 Brett McCormick on is BMW S1000RR. From the start of the race, he did not look back.

It was a great weekend of racing and I am really glad that I went. I think I will add the CSBK races at Atlantic Motorsport Park to my yearly calendar. There was one amateur race left in the day, however, Luc and I opted to head for home as we had a four hour drive. Apparently the race was rain shortened, so we didn't miss much! Check out this video from CSBK!

Monday, August 8, 2011

This past weekend was a great one! My friend Luc and I traveled to Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia to watch round 5 of the Canadian Superbike Series. Neither Luc or I have been to the Superbike Series before and we went on the recommendation of one of my work colleagues/friends, JWebb (and her other half)!

We opted to travel via cage in my new 2011 Chevy Silverado rather than by bike; we just had too much gear, lawn chairs, umbrellas, coolers, etc...you get the point. I picked Luc up early Saturday am and we made the 4 hour drive to the track. Once at the track, we unloaded gear and stopped to watch some of the time trials. Saturday's schedule consisted mostly of time trials/qualifying with the big races scheduled for Sunday.

After a short walk through the pits, I texted JWebb, she said that they were in the pits as well, I texted back and said look for the two guys who look like tourists and sure enough, they found us.

It was great having JWebb and her husband Byron at the races as they are veterans at the track. They immediately adopted Luc and I, now termed "newbies" and began to show us around.

First thing they did was direct us to corner #2, from there you can see corners 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 and the back end straight away.

Click on map for full view

We made our way to corner #2, set up our chairs and had a great day watching qualifying and one of the CBR125 Challenge Races. Here are a few pics of the day (click on pics for a full view).

Luc checks out corner #2

The Kids on the CBR125's

Harley-Davidson XR1200 Series

Amateur Sportbike

The Pros

#6 Brett McCormick on his BMW S1000RR

We had a great day at the qualifying sessions on Saturday and could not wait for Sunday's final races! Next post, Canadian Superbike Series Part 2, stay tuned!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 5 - It rained really hard the previous night and there was a threat of rain for day 5, but we lucked out...just clouds and hot muggy weather. Like other days, we got an early morning start for the Evangeline Trail and the Annapolis Valley. The trail follows Nova Scotia Route 1 and is very scenic...farm country, apple orchards and the Fundy Basin. Our afternoon destination was Digby, Nova Scotia and the Princess of Acadia Ferry. From there we would would cross the Bay of Fundy and make the journey home. Total distance for the day - 415 kilometers, this includes the three hour ferry crossing from Digby to Saint John.

The ride from Halifax to Windsor along Route 1 was quite enjoyable as there was very little traffic. We stopped in Windsor for a coffee and a quick bite to eat and then proceeded through the rest of the Annapolis Valley. Our next stop was at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Acadia University is well recognized for academic excellence, among other things.

Zal on the steps at Acadia University

After a short stop we made our way through the rest of the Annapolis Valley...it was a beautiful ride through several small communities. It brought back many memories as I lived in this region as a teenager. Next stop was the Town of Annapolis Royal. This is another must stop location as the town is rich in history and views the Fundy Basin.

One of the gems of this community is Fort Anne, one of Canada's historic sites. "Fort Anne National Historic Site of Canada is Canada's oldest - a present day reminder of a time when conflict between Europe's empire builders was acted out on the shores of the Annapolis River. It offers a sweeping view of the beautiful Annapolis Basin from the centre of Annapolis Royal. Museum exhibits highlight the history of the fort." (Parks Canada)

Fort Anne

Defending the Fundy Basin

The Fundy Basin

Our final destination of the day was next, Digby, NS. We jumped on the bikes and made the thirty minute ride from Annapolis Royal to Digby. We were a bit pressed for time as we were scheduled for the 4 o'clock ferry crossing and we wanted to ensure that we had time for a feed of world famous "Digby Scallops"!

Once in Digby, we went downtown to the waterfront in search of the infamous Digby Scallop!

Digby Waterfront

We found the scallops that we were looking for and ordered take out as we had to get to the ferry terminal. Once at the ferry terminal we had the chance to enjoy our meal, we ate from the back of Zal's motorcycle trailer.

After finishing our scallops, we loaded the Princess of Acadia for the three hour crossing. It was a foggy sail across the Bay of Fundy and visibility was limited.

The three hour crossing was uneventful and when we arrived in Saint John, Luc and I said good-bye to Zal and set out on our way back to Fredericton. We had a great ride home, there was very little traffic and we arrived home just before dark.

Like last year, this was a great 5 day road trip and you could not find better guys to ride with! Luc and Zal are very easy going and we all have similar interests! I can't wait until next year's trip...destination to be determined!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Day 4 ended up being our shortest ride...153 kilometers, from New Glasgow, NS to Halifax, NS. Will explain why in a bit...

However it was not without adventure! We noticed a short way into the ride that Zal lost his riding lights, signal lights and brake lights. We stopped in Truro, NS for fuel and decided we were going to get to the bottom of Zal's electrical problem. First we pulled the side panel off the fairing of Zal's FJR 1300 and checked the fuse panel.

Next, we unhooked the trailer and checked the lights on Zal's bike, they worked so we knew it was an electrical issue between the trailer and the bike. Zal pulled the cover off the trailer wiring connector to discover a wire had worked itself free.

While Zal was fixing the wiring issue, he told us that he had dropped a small set screw on the ground, so Luc and I got on our hands and knees for the search. After a bit, we found the set screw.

It took the better part of an hour to fix Zal's wiring issue and then we were back on the road headed towards Halifax, Dartmouth actually. Our first stop in Dartmouth was the local Yamaha/Honda/Suzuki dealer Pro Cycle Limited. Luc and I are interested in purchasing communicators and we wanted to see what they had in stock. Unfortunately, there was nothing in stock.

Before leaving the motorcycle dealer, we had to decide where to ride to for the afternoon. Initially, we were going to ride to Peggy's Cove, but we opted to play tourist instead. We found accommodations, parked the bikes, changed into shorts and were tourists.

We caught the ferry from Dartmouth to the Halifax waterfront and found a good pub for lunch. Halifax is the largest city in Nova Scotia and the commercial hub of the region. It is also home to a large Canadian Naval Base.

Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry

Angus L. MacDonald Bridge

Halifax Waterfront

Once at the Halifax Waterfront, we stopped to watch some glass blowers demonstrating their trade...very cool!

We spent some time touring the waterfront and ended up at the Split Crow Pub, a place that I frequented when I worked the summer in Halifax in the early 80's...still a great place! Along the way, we ran into this guy!

After a few hours at the Split Crow, we met up with friends of Luc and went out to dinner, a nice way to finish off the evening. It was another great day and the three of us came to consensus that it was a great way to spend the day, relaxing and enjoying good company! Oh ya, we got caught in a huge thunderstorm and downpour on the way back to the hotel!